SUNDAY 11 AUGUST 2019 – UWI TODAY
11
CAMPUS NEWS
UWI students to receive over $2 million for Scholarships
and Bursaries fromCaribbean Gas Chemical Ltd
Eighty nationals of Trinidad and Tobago
attending The
UWI St Augustine Campus will benefit from scholarships
and bursaries over the next five years courtesy Caribbean
Gas Chemical Limited (CGCL). This follows the signing of
a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the establishment
of a CGCL Scholarship and Bursaries Fund on Monday, July
29, 2019.
TheMoA formalises a commitment betweenTheUWI and
CGCL, from2019-2024, and includes the award of 50 bursaries
valued at $5,000 each. Thirty continuous scholarships valued
at $20,000 each will support programmes and research across
eight faculties at The UWI for the same period. The awards
will be based on academic merit, financial need and/or extra-
curricular activities or any combination of two or three.
Prior to the signing of the MoA, CGCL funded ten
bursaries totalling $50,000.00 to undergraduate students of
The UWI from La Brea and environs at the start of Academic
Year 2018/2019.
These scholarships and bursaries will be offered to new and
continuing undergraduate students respectively from CGCL’s
fence line communities such as La Brea, Sobo Village, Rousillac,
Vance River, Vessigny Village and Union Village.
Signing on behalf of both parties were UWI St Augustine’s
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Brian
Copeland and Mr Hiroshi Kita, Chief Executive Officer of
CGCL.
Professor Copeland expressed his sincerest gratitude to
CGCL for their continued support to students of The UWI.
Also present at the signing were UWI representatives such as
Professor Indar Ramnarine – Deputy Campus Principal, Dr
Deirdre Charles – Director, Division of Student Services and
Development, Ms Kristy Mannette-Smith – Manager (Ag)
Financial Advisory Services, and Mrs Debra Coryat-Patton –
Legal Officer. Representing CGCL were Mr Kahlil Comissiong
– Community Engagement Coordinator, and Corporate
Secretary Mrs. Donielle Charles-Rodriguez.
For more information on scholarships
and bursaries
available at UWI, please visit
/
UWI and UNDESA host Symposium on Research and Innovation
for Climate Action at UNMeetings in New York
Universities play a unique role in helping countries
achieve
the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) by serving as drivers of knowledge, innovation,
development solutions and partnerships. It is in this context
that the Global University Consortium on SDG13 met
during the UNs’ High-Level Political Forum 2019 (HLPF) on
Sustainable Development in New York in July 2019.
Following its strategic agenda and role as a global
leader in the mobilisation of research and advocacy for the
achievement of a climate-smart world during the forum on
July 12, The UWI led a symposium themed “Research and
Innovation 4 Climate Action” together with the UnitedNations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The
UWI’s Director of Development, Dr Stacy Richards-Kennedy,
served as moderator. Coordinator of the University’s Institute
for Sustainable Development (ISD) and Director of the Centre
for Environmental Management (CEM) Dr David Smith
presented at the symposium together with Vice-Chancellor
of TERI School of Advanced Studies Dr Leena Srivastava,
University of Bergen’s Dr Helga Kleiven, and SUNY College
of Environmental Science and Forestry representative Mr
Justin Heavey.
This side-event at the High Level Political Forum
demonstrated how higher education institutions (HEIs) under
the Global University Consortium are making contributions to
address climate change. Among the highlights were showcases
of strides made in research in the fields of biomass energy,
carbon sequestration, climate resilient design, and educational
outreach and impact.
The HEIs also showcased the cross-cutting approach of the
consortiumtoSDGs 4, 13 and17.However,more importantly, the
symposium provided an opportunity for HEIs to share ground-
breaking research and knowledge with a view to influencing new
ways of thinking, policy debates and industry practice.
Some of the discussions focused on integrating the social
sciences into the climate agenda in order to deliver maximum
impact to society; leveraging the knowledge generated by HEIs
to influence policy and government decision-making; and
ensuring the most vulnerable countries and social groups are
not left behind or forgotten in climate action planning.
Attendees included representatives from UN agencies
such as UNDESA, the United Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) and
World Food Programme. Other participating HEIs and HEI
associations included the Association of Commonwealth
Universities (ACU), International Association of Universities
(IAU) and the University of Bologna. Representatives from
government organisations from the Parliament of Czech
Republic, the Permanent Mission of Jamaica, the Government
of Canada as well as the International Disability Alliance were
also in attendance.
Stemming from the symposium, the attendees resolved to
deepen existing partnerships and explore new collaboration
models on research, education, and resource mobilisation for
climate action.
Coordinator of The UWI’s Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) and Director of the Centre for Environmental Management (CEM),
Dr David Smith making his presentation.
